Saturday, August 07, 2010

100 Things About Me (2010)

This is the fourth annual edition of "100 Things About Me". It's a blogger tradition to do this once, but I'm an overachiever plus I direct potential partners from online dating to this post. It works to intrigue the right ladies and more importantly to avoid a whole lot of one time coffee dates.

There has been about an 17.6% update this year, mostly because I got bored by the old me.

1. This blog [Keeping Your Head in (All) the Game(s)] will soon total more than 400 posts since 2007. I have disclosed more to the void of the world wide web than I have to my closest friends.

2. For 15 months in 2009-10, I was undomiciled (not homeless) while traveling in my Cube to see family and friends around the country.

3. As of March ’10, I have a semi-permanent address in Berkeley, CA.

4. I got my first passport to study in Germany in ‘68. I used my second to go to Antarctica in ‘80.The third one took me to Singapore & Bali in ‘97.I was traveling on my fourth passport in Australia in ‘07, when I wrote the first draft of this list.

5. That fourth passport is currently awaiting a visa stamp for a long romantic trip with my soon to be once and future lover.

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6. I grew up in a rural village in Michigan near Ann Arbor.

7. I am the middle child of five; I am typical of a middle child. Also an Aquarius, double Capricorn, Emperor-Fool, INFP.

8. I have lived with four women in my life; this total does not include lesbian housemates, my mother or sister.

9. Only one relationship ever mutually got anywhere near the conversation that begins: “4½ yellow gold with….” There were several others that got that close for her but not for me or so I was later informed.

10. I got my undergraduate degree in political science from Kalamazoo College in 1969.

23. The most important feature of a car is head room; come to think of it, that may be the most important feature of life.

24. I have been told I have really great hands. I have not been told that often enough.

25. I was mesmerized twice during an Easter weekend in Paris in 1968.

26. There were seventeen academic awards for boys given out my senior year in high school. I received seventeen.

27. I have written under several pseudonyms.

28. The first live poker tournament I ever played was raided by the Ohio State Police.

29. I worked as a media writer at the World Series of Poker for four years: ’06-’09; I was not there in ’10 and will not be there in the future.

30. I once received a job evaluation that read: “Not completely sure what Tim does; prefer not to ask. Overall rating: Excellent, perhaps.”

31. I ran several political campaigns in the 70’s; none of my candidates won but none of them served time in prison either.

32. I have voted in every presidential election. I have never voted for a winning presidential candidate.I have voted for one democrat and no republicans -- George McGovern.

33. The 1972 election was the last time I drank the kool-aid.

34. I have a lengthy rant/tirade on third party voting, which no one is required to hear more than once. I would add that several friends have come back years, even decades later and asked me to repeat my argument.

35. The last presidential speech I heard was Richard Nixon’s resignation. I enjoyed it much too much.

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36. I don’t believe in the Cartesian mind/body split.

37. I do believe in Karma and Reincarnation, well at least this time.

38. From the age of ten to twenty-six, I had the key to a pharmacy in my pocket. I refer to those as my “chemically formative years.”

39. My father was a naval officer, small business owner, pharmacist, village councilman and volunteer fire chief.

40. I have a not so deeply repressed attraction to redheads.

41. I have about six dozen favorite quotes. Among them: "True wisdom needs decades to ripen."

42. I think that The Simpsons once was “a brilliant commentary on American culture” and so is the woman who first said that to me.

43. When anyone says their family is dysfunctional, I ask if they have ever seen The Osbournes; available on DVD.

44. There always seems to be one current reality show that I am addicted to. The previous list includes: Intervention, The Osbournes, The Girls Next Door, and currently Family Jewels.

45. A country needs jesters; we have John Stewart and Steven Colbert.

46. I have many qualities that resemble a hibernating bear.

47. There is a sign on my front door that reads: “Arouse only as necessary.”

48. I have had several “families” over the years; the one in L.A. will always be the most memorable, we lost our center and drifted apart.

49. I have never been arrested. I have put up bail several times.

50. I have only three addictions: chocolate, oxygen and that other one.

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51. Apocalypse Now is my favorite movie but not the director’s cut. I have a blog post: Movies of My Life that may interest movie buffs.

52. Catch-22 was once my favorite book. These days my favorite changes often.

53. Annie Lennox is my favorite female singer.

54. I adore cats of all sizes and I am fond of manatees.

55. In the last three years I have discovered the answer to several of life’s questions. However, I have also realized that an equal number of previously ‘known’ answers, no longer seem to be true.

56. Three of the most remarkable women I have ever met all live in Texas.

57. The other three I met in San Francisco. I am open to expanding this list.

58. I have lived in Michigan, Massachusetts, Germany, several L.A. South Bay suburbs, San Francisco, Las Vegas and now Berkeley.

75. “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all” is empirically, if painfully, true.

76. I do not watch nor follow team sports. I do watch the Super Bowl commercials.

77. I don't play any musical instruments and can't carry a tune. Prose is my vehicle.

78. I eat the M&Ms by color, dark to light.

79. Omnivore with predilections for turkey, avocado, asparagus, barbeque, crusty loaves and the aforementioned cocoa in all dark forms.

80. I have never participated in sports where your legs randomly go in opposite directions.

81. I was employed for several years as a benevolent demi-god in a virtual reality world. It was typecasting. I never smote anyone.

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82. I believe that U.S. America post-1492 can genetically be a country of origin. I have officially declared myself an albus americanus.

83. As my friends approach retirement, I offer each of them this advice: "Fix up your guest room."

84. Is my favorite number but not my lucky number.

85. Grey is my favorite color; followed closely by gray.

86. I have made love in hell.

87. Until I was 35 everyone thought I was older than I was.

88. After I was 35 everyone thinks I am younger than I am, even now.

89. I lived in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach but I never, ever lay on a sunny beach.

90. 1984 was the first book I ever stayed up all night to read.

91. About the only pastime that keeps me from writing is reading.

92. My favorite job is the one I have now; teaching is a close second and working with my dad in the pharmacy made both of those possible.

93. I lived with a woman named Faith. I got hit by a car driven by Hope. Was asked to have coffee by a hooker named Charity, she really did want to have coffee (some years later she asked me to be her daughter's godfather.)

94. I will eat a hot dog, sausage or link no matter how many snouts and lips are in it. Prefer the links be barbeque, the sausage in an omelette and only the occasional weenie.

95. I will eat almost anything chocolate and will ford any stream to locate and devour it.

96. I once camped for a weekend with seven gay men, six lesbians, and four newborn kittens.

97. I currently have three goals: Not just a woman, not just book, just a synchronous life.

98. I have two lingering regrets in my life. Both involve relationships I screwed up. One when I was too young, the other I couldn't break through the shimmering walls of her past.

99. I have one prejudice; I abhor voluntary stupidity.

100. I will listen to almost any thoughtful position, unless it violates the limits referenced in 33 and 99.